After three years of dedicated work funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), we at Sands are proud to mark a major milestone in changing how UK workplaces support employees through pregnancy and baby loss. This funding was never about a short-term fix: it was about kickstarting long-term cultural and practical shifts in how organisations approach bereavement, compassion, and mental wellbeing. 

The urgency could not be clearer. Every day in the UK, 13 babies die before, during, or shortly after birth. At least one in six pregnancies ends in miscarriage, and the annual economic cost of miscarriage alone is estimated at £471 million. The emotional toll on parents is profound, but what’s often overlooked is the lasting impact this grief can have when compounded by workplace misunderstandings or poor support systems. 

Our Bereavement in the Workplace (BITW) training programme was created to help build supportive workplace environments: equipping organisations with practical, empathetic ways to support their employees at some of the most difficult times of their lives. Thanks to the DHSC's funding, we have developed accredited training that empowers people managers and HR professionals to have open, informed and sensitive conversations about pregnancy and baby loss - conversations shaped directly by bereaved parents and people leaders.

 

In the last three years, we’ve trained people from 168 organisations ranging from small businesses to large corporations, reaching more than 600,000 staff. Our live webinars, eLearning modules, policy templates, support guides, and our Sands Learning Hub supports organisations from every industry, to invest in their people with understanding and proactive support. 

This isn’t just a moral issue; it’s an economic one. The ONS has consistently highlighted the cost of poor mental health to the UK economy - most recently estimating it at over £53 billion annually through lost productivity and absenteeism. BITW participants told us the benefits go beyond baby loss: the training builds broader wellbeing culture, boosts confidence in handling sensitive situations, and helps prevent the isolation that fuels longer-term sickness absence. 

Prior to the training, colleagues and managers often tell us that they don’t know what to say or how to support someone who has been affected by pregnancy or baby loss at work. But afterwards, the understanding and confidence of what to say and do for most people improves significantly. Our independent evaluation, conducted by NCVO, confirmed the impact: 

• 92% rated the training 4 or 5 out of 5. 

• 98% would recommend it to others. 

• Nine in ten participants felt more confident supporting colleagues post-training, up from just a third beforehand. 

• Organisations used our resources to strengthen HR policies, improve return-to-work processes, and open dialogue on a potentially challenging subject. 

Looking ahead, we aim to expand Sands’ BITW offer by working with business networks, professional bodies, and employer groups to embed these practices into standard wellbeing frameworks. We are particularly excited that our programme is now accredited by the CPD Certification Service, giving organisations added confidence in the quality and evidence base of our resources. 

We’re inviting every employer, whatever your size or sector, to join us on this journey. You can read an independent evaluation report by NCVO, and explore available resources to help you better support bereaved colleagues at sands.org.uk/BITW. Whether through attending one of our webinars, revising your internal policies, or simply opening up the conversation, you will be making a tangible difference not only to your employees’ wellbeing, but to your organisation’s culture and productivity. 

Supporting your people through loss isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. Together, we can build workplaces where compassion leads, stigma is dismantled, and bereaved employees are met with the care and understanding they deserve. 

Written by Vicky Luk, Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy, Sands 

Introduction to Bereavement in the Workplace webinar 

If you would like to find out more about our accredited workplace training, book your place(s) on one of our free Introduction to Bereavement in the Workplace webinars, with the next one taking place on Monday 11 August, 1:00-2:00pm.  

We are here for you 

Everyone responds to grief in different ways. Some may prefer to not talk about their baby upon their returning to work, whereas others may find talking about their baby gives them great comfort. We understand that colleagues and managers can also feel uncertain about what to say. We are here to support you, whether you have experienced pregnancy or baby loss, or are a colleague or employer.